Andrea Henry, a spokesperson with the Iowa DOT, says the app will temporarily disable text and phone capabilities once a car reaches 15 mph and respond to an incoming call or text with a message that the person is driving. The app also would allow parents to monitor driving habits and notify them if their teen deletes the app from his or her phone.

A third party will monitor all information generated by the app; Henry says the DOT will not have access to individual drivers' information.